Sanitary dry closet.



J. D. PALKS.

SANITARY DRY GLOSBT.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 1o, 1912.

1 ,098,029, Patented May 26, 1914.

v James D. Fez/k3 e @4' Cem-@W19 di 61mm,

JAMES D. FALKS, OF BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA.

SANITARY DRY cnosnr.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 26, 1914.

Application filed May 10, 1912. Serial No. 696,463.

To all who/m, may concer/i Be it known that I, JAMES D. FALKS, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Birmingham, in the county of Jefferson and State of Alabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sanitary Dry Closets, of which the following is a specifica-tion.

My invention relates to a novel type of sanitary dry closet, and its object is to economically produce a closet which will not contan'linate the soil and will effectively prevent any spread of disease by flies, gnats, or in any other manner which now exists in the case of the old fashioned dry c-loset.y

The object of my invention is to provide a casing having a rear door for the insertion of a receptacle for the night soil, and having a hinged closure above such receptacle which is normally held closed when the closet is not in use. This closure is adapted to effectively seal and close the casing above and it will be automatically opened when the closet is in use. To draw olf all noxious odors I provide a vent stack which leads from below the hinged closure through the side of the closet and extends upwardly suiiiciently to give a draft that will carry off all odo-rs and gases and discharge them above the closet.

My invention further comprises the details of construction and arrangements of parts which, in their preferred embodiment, are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure' 1 is a vertical sectional view through a dry closet equipped with my invention which is also shown in longitudinal vertical section. F ig. 2 is a front view of my invention shown partly in elevatio-n and partlv in a transverse sectional view, with the parts in the position assumed when not in use. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, and showing the position of parts when in use. F ig. 4L is a detail perspective view of my invention in position in the dry closet.

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view broken awa-y along the line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

In the preferred form illustrated, the dry closet 1, of any suitable shape or material, has fixed therein a casing 2 preferably constructed of galvanized sheet metal. This casing has an enlarged lower compartment 3 which has a rear vertically sliding door i which, when raised, permits a receptacle 5, also preferably formed of galvanized sheet metal, to be inserted into or withdrawn from compartment 3. The top of the casing is made shorter than compartment 3 and is open at its top where it is suitably fastened to an open wooden frame or support 6. To the rear end of this support 6 the closet seat 7 is hinged with its forward end resting on and normally held elevated by twoI slide rods S which pass downwardly through Slots orfguides in support G, and connect each to a crank 9 on the end of a hinge rod 10. I provide a hinge rod 10 on each side of the casing and Cause it to project through the front wall of the casing above compartment 3 and to be journaled in metal hinge stops 11 connected to the adjacent side of the casing. I fix on each rod 10a door 12 which makes a close sliding lit between the front and rear end walls of the casing. Also each door, at its hinged end, is arranged to fit closely against the side wall of the casing. The inside edges of these two doors, when in normal position, will abut and form an effective closure for the top of the casing above the receptacle 5. Springs 13 are connected to the frame 6 and to the rods S and tend to raise the latter and thereby to both lift seat 7 off of its support 6 and to rock the doors 12 on their hinge supports until they meetI in the center of the casing and seal it. When the closet is in use,` the seat 7 will be depressed, ,as seen in Fig. 2, which will lower rods 8, and through cranks 9 and rods 10, will swing the doors 12 upwardly until they assume a vertical position against the side walls of the casing and under the overhanging edge of support 6. Meanwhile the springs 13 are under tension and will restore all parts to the position shown in F ig. 1 the moment the use of the closet is discontinued.

The rear door et is preferably formed of metal with side tongues 14, which engage and slide along guides 15 fastened to the rear end of the casing. This door also may have a glass inspection door 16.

In order to prevent any escape of noxious odo-rs from the casing, I provide a vent stack 17 which extends above the closet and at its lower end opens into the casing below the doors 12, or in other words, into the top of compartment 3 which contains the receptacle 5. This stack will tend to collect and discharge all deleterious and obnoxious odors without the closet.

The casing l and its closures 4l and 12 are made so as to give no opportunity for iiies, Ignats and insects to gain access to compartment 3, and thus I obtain a dry closet which is sanitary and free of the objections to the prese-nt type of dry closet.

In applying my improvement to old style closets, I find this can be done by simply sawing away sutlicient of the seat to permit the casing l to be dropped into the opening with the frame G resting on and properly bolted to the top of the seat at the sides of the opening. rlhe lower compartment will be disposed beneath the closet floor. To enable the doors l2 to be opened by foot, I provide a rod 18 which is fastened to the under side of the left hand front end of the seat 7. rlChis rod passes downwardly through a suitable opening in the frame 6 and through a guide 19 attached to the front wall of the casing. At its lower end this rod is bent outwardly at 20 to form a pedal which, when depressed by the foot, will draw down the seat 7 and open doors 12. If desired, angle irons 21 may be attached to the end walls oitl the casing and serve as seats for the ends of the doors l2 to rest on.

Though I prefer to use galvanized metal to form the casing and receptacle, obviously other material may be substituted, and the form and arrangement of parts may be widely vai'ied within the scope of my invention.

In order to place the rod 8 to the side of the casing and out of the way, I bend the ends of the cranks 9 to the rear, as seen in Fig. 4l.

If desired I mayprovide tlie interior of compartment 3 with inclined ianges which overhang the sides and rear end of the receptacle 5.

Without limiting myself to the details of construction constituting the preferred embodiment of my invention, what I Claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1S I l. In a dry closet having a top opening, a toilet seat movably mounted over said opening, hinged doors disposed within the upper portion of the casing and adapted Vwhen closed to form an intermediate hori- Zontal transverse partition in the casing, said doors being hinged at opposite sides of the easing and adapted to swing upwardly toward the seat in opening, means to open the doors when the seat is depressed, means to close the doors when pressure on the seat is released, and a ventilating stack leading from the casing below the hinged doors when closed, substantially as described.

2. In a dry closet, a casing having a rear opening and a top seat opening, a closure for said rear opening, a receptacle within the casing which is removable through said opening, two doors within the casing hinged to opposite sides thereof above the top of said receptacle and adapted to make a close tit in the top of said casing and when closed to form a transverse partition therein, a de pressible seat over said top opening, means controlled by said seat to swing said doors upwardly to open them, means to swing said doors downwardly to close them when pres sure on the seat is released, and a ventilating stach leading from said casing at a point below the doors when closed and above the top of the receptacle, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES D. FALKS.

IVitnesses Nerim lVnLsH, MINNIE L. DANIEL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, '.D. G. 

